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Monday, 4 February 2013

A difference

Last September Grandson started primary school
after a number of years at a private nursery.

The big difference I noticed out here on the periphery, was
that within normal opening hours of 8am to 6pm and no doubt in spite of reams of regulations,
the nursery place was flexible and open 51 weeks a year.

However, it was obvious from day one that the primary school
is not there to serve the needs of parents in the same, flexible way. In fact
things don’t seem to have moved on much since the fifties when most mothers
stayed at home to look after the kids.

Yes I know about breakfast clubs and so forth and the gaps
can be filled by various means, but the nursery provided a one stop shop. In a
sense, it took whatever childcare business was available.

Schools don’t work that way and in a sense it’s an amazing
achievement if you think about it – this lack of response to changing social
needs.

I’m not saying this difference is right or wrong, I’m noticing
it simply because it’s so obvious.

4 comments:

Yup, agreed. Which is all an argument for education vouchers - by and large, half of child care costs are covered by vouchers, subsidies, tax breaks etc, but the point is that they are competing private providers. It works up to age 5, so why not from age 5?

The big problem with nurseries is the barriers to entry, that's what makes them expensive.

A friend is a head at a big primary and tells me if you give an inch they will take a yard - especially if they are not paying for it. Schools have to be pretty hard nosed or the yummy mummies and the chavvy mummies will all be taking the piss in their various ways. A study in (USA or Israel) found that where schools fined parents for late pickup the parents arbitraged their overtime/childcare costs and exploited the low charges schools made. Inflexible - you betya!.

A(nother) friend paid for his grandchildren to go private on the understanding there would be no inheritance and no house - a good investment and tax friendly.